Woodward Golf Club

Challenging without being impossible. Lots of reachable par 4s. Water coolers on many of the holes, whic is nice when it's hot! Several shots over water too. The only reason this got 4 stars from me was because the bunkers and a few of the greens need some TLC. Will be back for sure. Can't beat $25 during the week.

Woodward has gone dormant and is playing extremely firm and fast. Greens are on the crusty side but still putt very good. $25 w/cart Monday-Friday is most economical round in Birmingham.

Woodward was founded in 1916 and is one of the oldest courses in Alabama on its original site.

This is a highly underrated course from a design perspective. The only two holes remotely alike are the first and eighth holes, which run parallel to each other. Quirky holes abound, which I am a big fan of. There are a collection of short par 4s that require strategy and precise tee shots to navigate, including the 11th hole, which I consider to be one of the best golf holes in metro Birmingham. It is a 90-degree dogleg right. A tee shot of more than 240 yards straightaway will run through the fairway or be blocked out by a large tree guarding the left side of the green. A pond hugs the right side, discouraging trying to reach the green off the tee. Several trees frame the right side of the fairway beside the pond, making layups off the tee dicey because, again, approach shots can be blocked out. A 235-yard fade off the tee will leave less than 100 yards to a two-tier green. It is a fantastic hole.

Another memorable hole is the par-3 16th, which measures only 145 yards downhill, but the green is the size of a frisbee and is guarded by bunkers. It is a tough hole.

The fairways were in excellent shape. The greens, with the exception of No. 13 - which had been invaded by crabgrass, were of good quality and moderate speed. I never played from a bunker, but they looked a little rough. Many were wet, despite no recent rain.

My only constructive criticism is that the course is extremely walkable, yet there is no walking rate. Walking is allowed, but the weekday rate is $25, with or without cart. Interestingly, on the receipt, the cost is broken down into a greens fee and a cart fee. I would like to see the course offer a $20 walking rate, comparable to other area courses of similar quality.

In conclusion, this is a fun course, with a terrific variety of holes that is an excellent value on weekdays.